I’ve switched to printing out my blog archives monthly instead of yearly, so now I’m all caught up again. It’s surprising how it all adds up. Here’s my blog since just 2007, printed single-space, double-column, double-sided, with monthly indexes:

I’m surprised that I quite enjoy reading my old posts. I find it difficult to listen to my presentation recordings – I get impatient, I want to move on – but I like reading, particularly when I come across posts I’ve forgotten writing. There’s a lot in here. It’s fun remembering what it was like to look for my first apartment, hanging out with friends, dealing with challenges. I like revisiting my questions, decisions, and plans. There are many things that spark ideas for new posts and sketches.

This print-out is part of playing the long game with writing. I’ve got electronic backups of my blog. A paper backup further increases the chances that I’ll be able to revisit these ideas decades down the line. And it supports serendipity and reflective practice, too. Who knows what I’ll rediscover or review?

I switched to using the kitchen counter as my standing desk last month, and it’s working really well. I like working in the kitchen: natural light, plenty of water and healthy snacks, and the occasional cat-cuddling break. The kitchen counter is just the right height for typing. I don’t have an eye-level monitor, but if I keep good posture and take frequent breaks (to cuddle cats, for example), my neck doesn’t hurt.

Standing up also keeps me from the bad habit of crossing my legs at the knees. I fidget more, too – do more stretches, take care of more little chores around the kitchen while thinking about code. Good for circulation.

Not a bad experiment. I think I’ll keep on going.

Now if only we had counters at the right height in the office. There’s a bar-height counter, but it’s a little too high for me to comfortably type on. Maybe two recycling bins upended on a desk…